NASA's new scramjet hits new speed record

A hypersonic rocket inspired by Australian technology has smashed the world speed record, travelling at 11,000km/h. The NASA scramjet yesterday screamed across the sky at 10 times the speed of sound, becoming the fastest &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/2000/11/15/937.html' target=_blank>aircraft of all time and spurring dreams of supersonic passenger flight. A jet at that speed could go from Brisbane to Los Angeles in an hour.

Using radical technology first perfected by scientists from the University of Queensland, the 3.6m-long unmanned X-43A supersonic combustion ramjet reached its record speed after being launched by a Pegasus rocket, reports NEWS.com.au.

According to The Register, NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe declared: "This flight is a key milestone and a major step toward the future possibilities for producing boosters for sending large and critical payloads into space in a reliable, safe, inexpensive manner. These developments will also help us advance the Vision for Space Exploration, while helping to advance commercial aviation technology."